A Thousand Oaks man was arrested earlier this month after a routine traffic stop led to the discovery of narcotics and stolen firearms, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office reported. Steven Gillespie, 35, was pulled over by a Thousand Oaks Directed Enforcement Unit (DEU) detective on October 10 for a moving violation, It was then discovered Gillespie was in breach of a court order against him that prohibited the owning or possessing of firearms due to an active misdemeanor warrant.
During the subsequent investigation that followed the initial records check, DEU detectives unearthed a substantial amount of potentially illicit materials in Gillespie’s vehicle including a handgun, approximately 3,500 rounds of ammunition, controlled substances, and drug paraphernalia, this investigation also suggested Gillespie might have access to more firearms and the owner of the handgun found in the possession of Gillespie reported the theft of additional firearms – a shotgun and two rifles – from their residence, which they had earlier been unaware of.
Gillespie now faces multiple charges: PC 148.9 (a), PC 487 (d)(2), PC 25400 (a)(1), PC 29825 (a), PC 25850 (a), PC 27545, HS 11350 (a), HS 11377 (a), HS 11364 (a), and HS 11370.1 (a), encompassing offenses that range from giving false information to a peace officer to unlawful transfer and possession of a firearm paired with controlled substances, following his October 14 arraignment, Gillespie's bail was set at $105,000.00 and he was booked into the Pre-trial Detention Facility in Ventura.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office values community support and encourages public participation in crime fighting. Residents can stay engaged through social media and Nixle by texting their zip code to 888777 for safety alerts. For media inquiries, Deputy Jordan Rojales is available at (805) 561-3974. Ventura County Crime Stoppers also offers up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, allowing tipsters to remain anonymous by calling 800-222-TIPS (8477).
